The Strangest Times
by Goddess Hestia
Summary: Wanderer is having some of the strangest times of her life. It's not strange at all to normal people. But she's always lived in foreign places. So living in a standard household with step siblings and two parents is alien to her. She'll somehow make it through some of the strangest experiences of her life with the aid of her new friends and family.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So the idea for this story came out of nowhere. I'm so in love with The Host (film and book). It is to die for. The relationship between Melanie and Wanderer is my favorite but I'm also team Ian when it comes to Wanderer. I wanted to write some fanfiction for my new favorite movie/book. So here it is! I wrote this up fast but I like the way it came out. I hope you do too. Read on to find out and let me know how you feel about it and if you would like for me to continue on because I would love to keep writing for this story line. **

"Wanderer, don't play with your hair like that. You have no reason to be nervous." my mother, Wilona, scorns me. I sigh but do as she says, tucking my dark curls behind my ear. That's easy for her to say. She's not the one being forced into a permanent home with her new 'family' that she barely knows.

You see my mother has remarried, or married for the first time, I'm really not sure. She might've been married to my biological father but I don't know. I don't like to ask about him. But anyways, she recently married a man named Brad Stryder. More like eloped actually.

Before my mother met him, she had a job that had her living in all sorts of places. She always took me with her. So we've traveled to many foreign places even though we were both born in America (her in New York, I in South Carolina). Our last home was in Iceland, and before then it was London, and before that it was...well you get the idea. But I've never lived in Arizona. I won't be able to say that for much longer though. I realized this as we pass the interstate sign that says Tucson 8 miles.

I sigh outwardly again. We'll be there very soon. Despite what my mother thinks, I'm not just nervous, I'm scared! It's always been just the two of us living in a big apartment in foreign nations for months at a time. Now I'm being enrolled in an actual school, not home school. My mother is quitting her job to find one in Tucson.

I don't know how to feel about this but I'm trying to convince myself to make the best out of it. There's no way to get our old life back. We are traveling 70 mph toward our new life and I can't change it. I can change how I feel about it though. It's the only way to be happy.

I dream of the time I entered a Karate competition in China when I was ten until we get to my stepfather's home. A slamming car door brings me back to reality. I take in my surroundings. I'm not ten anymore. I'm fourteen years old. My dark curls and gleaming blue eyes remain intact. I'm very petite for my age, I always have been. My name is no longer Wanderer Daniels. It is Wanderer Stryder.

"Come on Wanderer, we have lots of unpacking to do." my mother calls from the outside of our rental car. I step out of the car never taking my eyes off the house in front of them. It is a nice house I suppose. It's a two story warm brown painted house with black shutters and lots of windows, there is a roofed front porch, and a big front yard with a small shade tree off to the side.

I like it, I decide as my mother makes her way to the front door and knocks. Someone opens it right away, it's a man. He's very tall, he has endearing hazel eyes. His hazel eyes brighten further when he sees Wilona's face. "Wilona! You're here. You don't have to knock, this is your home now." Brad tells her as he embraces her.

I like the look on his face. He must really care for my mother. I wouldn't know. This will be my first time meeting him. My mom and him married in Las Vegas when I was visiting my grandparents. Apparently every time I visited my grandparents in the past year, it was because my mom was flying out to see Brad. They'd gotten married on the last visit. I had wondered why my mother was sending me with grams and papa so much.

I walk over to introduce myself. "Hello Brad," I greet. Brad smiles at me. "Well you must be Wanderer." Brad says taking my hand. I shake it, "You can call me Wanda if you'd like." I smile.

"Well Wanda, it's nice to meet you. Welcome home! Come on, I'll show you girls around." Brad says warmly. "Thanks," I reply. Brad and my mother enter the house leaving me on the threshold. I hesitate, unready to enter my first home.

"Wanda, come on." my mother calls noticing my linger. "I'm going to grab some stuff first, go ahead." I say then bolt towards the car. I open the trunk after almost crashing into it. "Hi, are you Wanderer? Melanie told me about you."

I jump at the voice. I abruptly turn to face it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." he apologized. "I-I," I stuttered as I took in his appearance. He's tall but he still looks around my age. He has sandy blonde hair kept short. His skin tone is tan just like everyone else in Arizona. His eyes are the last thing I look into. They're a piercing blue and so amazing.

I swallow. "It's fine, you didn't scare me." I assure. "Just surprised me is all. But, um, who is Melanie?" I don't recall knowing a Melanie. Ian gave me a puzzled look.

"The girl who lives here." he gestured to the house. "Her dad remarried a woman with a daughter."

"The man who lives here has a daughter?" I try to keep my voice even but I'm not sure that I succeeded. "And a son." Ian says softly noting my surprise. I can't believe this. Brad has children. I now have step siblings. How could Wilona not tell me? But they know about me since one of them mentioned me to a neighbor. I realize then, that I didn't confirm my name.

"Yes, I'm Wanderer. What is your name?" I ask politely trying to move on.

"Ian O'shea." he responds playing along. He sticks out his hand. I take it and shake it just like I had to Brad. "Very nice to meet you Ian," I say. He smiles at that. "The pleasure is all mine."

He's very courteous. He has a mannerism about him that I wonder if maybe he's in fact older than me. "How old are you?" I voice my question. "I am fourteen." he replies.

"Hm how unexpected. I am fourteen too." I tell him. "Do you live around here?" I ask lamely, hey I'm curious. "Yes, very close by and all my life." Ian nods. "Where are you from?" he goes on.

"All over. Originally South Carolina though." I shrug. If we continue to speak, he'll find out what I mean. I realize I better get going, especially now that I have to meet my new siblings.

"I suppose you attend Graveside Middle School." he must since he lives here. "Yes, what about you?" he answers.

"I will. Tomorrow will be my first day." I answer yet I shudder at the thought. It is mid November. It'll be hard adjusting to a new school when everyone else has already gotten used to the schedule and people.

Ian notices my nerves and places a hand gently on my shoulder. "It'll be fine Wanderer. Nothing is ever as bad as it seems." he consoled me. I smile in response. "It's been nice meeting you. I'll see you around," I say absentmindedly glancing towards my house.

"See you around," Ian repeats. He dashes off, across the street and I count four houses down, until he reaches a small yet cozy looking home. There's a boy slightly older than Ian and I in the yard kicking around a soccer ball. He looks a lot like Ian though. Almost identical. I shrug and turn away after I see Ian begin to kick the soccer around with the boy, I guess it's his brother.

I stack a few boxes in my arm. I walk slowly to the door so I won't trip over. I step up onto the porch where they left the front door open. I look back at Ian playing in his yard. He smiles and waves encouragingly. I face forward and take a gulp of air. I peer into my house and step inside.

**Please leave me a review if you want me to carry on or if you have constructive criticism. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'd just like to start off by saying thank you so much to everyone who favorited and followed but especially thanks to Sheerio4ever and Unexplainable Awesomeness for reviewing my first chapter! I'm glad you liked it :) If only one person liked this story, I would continue on. So thank you all for giving me motivation to continue on!**

**Attention1 *clears throat* If you are a fan of the Percy Jackson series, you should check out my two other stories. They are Percabeth fanfics. One is finished and only a few chapters long set in the Demigod world. The second one is 8 chapters strong and in progress, it's AU though. Check one or both out and leave me a review! I'd love it and really appreciate it!**

**If you are unfortunately only, a Host fan, then just read on for an awesome story about Wanda about to embark on some of the strangest times of her life.**

I step into the small foyer. To the side is a big staircase. A few yards in front of me is the living room. I step into the living room. I can see where to get to the kitchen and the dining room and the back yard from here. There are a few closed doors I'm not sure about. "Mother," I call out.

"Wanderer, over here." my mother responds from the foyer seemingly. I walk over with the few boxes I have. My mom is peeking from the hall that the stairs lead to. "Come on, Brad will show you your room. It's over here." she says. "Will he also introduce me to my siblings?" I grunt as I climb the stairs. "Oh yes, of course!" my mother chirps oblivious to my annoyance.

"You didn't tell me he had kids, mother!" I hiss.

"I thought it'd be a nice surprise." she counters.

"Mother, how could you? Are you-" I begin to whisper because were nearing our new family members and I don't want them to hear me angrily banter. Good thing too because suddenly Brad comes right beside my mother. "Come on Wanda, I can show you your room." my step dad smiles and gestures for me to follow. I smile in response until he turns around and then I scowl at my mother before pushing past her.

I follow Brad but only for a short while. We had barely reached the hall at the top of the stairs. It's a broad hallway with about five closed doors. I wonder what's behind each one. Brad stopped at the first one. "This will be your room." he says opening the door.

I suck in a breath as I take in the room's appearance. I cock my head at the sight of boxes. Lots of them just like the ones in my hands. Underneath all the storage, was a bed and some furniture. "This used to be our guest room but we started using it for storage." Brad explained.

"Oh, it's um..nice." I hesitate to cross the threshold. "We don't expect you to stay here of course. Not until it's cleaned up. You will stay with Melanie for now." Brad says surprising me. For a second, I thought I'd be cuddling with boxes while I slept tonight. He closes the door though to prove his point.

"Here," he begins crossing the hall to the door opposite 'my room, "is where Melanie lives." I feel a lump form in my throat when he says her name.

He knocks before stepping in. I don't move a muscle even when my mom tugs my arm before continuing on. Brad and my mom are in the doorway. I hear Brad introducing my mother. "Kids, this is your stepmother, Wilona. Come say hello. You too Jamie.

Jamie. That's right, Ian said he had a son too. I can't see Melanie and Jamie, my parents are blocking the view, they sound about my age though as they greet my mother. I can't bring myself to step forward.

"Welcome home," Jamie says. He's got a sweet voice. I shuffle forward a few steps. "Well thank you honey! My Jamie you're so kind and Melanie, you are so beautiful." my mother coos. Melanie is beautiful? I lean towards them curiously but I still can't see past Brad and Wilona.

"Thank you Wilona. Where's your daughter though?" Melania asks. So they knew about me? Ouch. I didn't know my mother and I were lacking so much in the communication department. I wonder when that started happening.

"Wanderer," my mother says impatiently insinuating that she's been trying to get my attention. "Hm," I mumble looking at her again. Her and Brad stepped to either side of the doorway. My siblings stand between them.

Jamie is peering at me with soft dark brown eyes. His hair is dark too but his skin is as light as I suspect anyone's skin can be in Tucson. I think he's a few years younger than I. I shift my gaze to Melanie. She has dark reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes like her father but she won't look back at me with them. She's tanner than her brother.

I draw in a breath to clear my head.

**Ooh, like my cliffhanger? This is the best place to come to a stopping point for this chapter. I take Melanie and Wanda's relationship very seriously so I really want to get it right. So that is what we have to look forward to in the next chapter! Thanks so much for reading! I'll catch y'all next time ;)**


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